WWII

Greene County

Cpl. Lyle Leonard

Here is the national guard company which left Jefferson in March, 1941, taken in the Jefferson armory just a few days before starting its trip to Camp Claiborne, La. The company has been in the thick of the battle in Tunisia and reports of “missing in action” have been received this week by many families.

Messages from men who have been held prisoners of war by the German government since their capture Feb. 17, 1943, at Faid pass, North Africa, continue to come to their relatives at home. The first came Monday evening, May 14, and each day more are received.

To date, word has come of the liberation of …….Cpl. Lyle Leonard, of Farlin.

Corporal Leonard wrote to his parents at Missouri Valley, where they moved from Jefferson, although his father is again here. He said he had been liberated May 2, and that he hoped to be home soon. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Leo Leonard.

Source: Jefferson Herald, May 24, 1945

12 PRISONERS BACK IN THE U. S.

So far as The Bee had been able to determine by noon today, 12 of the 27 guard company men who had been prisoners of war of the Germans until late in April or early May, have now returned to the States.

Cpl. Lyle Leonard called his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Leonard, at 2 a.m. today from New York, and said he soon would be on his way to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., to be there about two weeks.